Batman Incorporated #9Review

Grant Morrison said that he wouldn’t be dealing much with “sad Batman” in his issues to come, and he wasn’t lying. While we do get some expected follow-up to Damian Wayne’s death in this issue in the form of his funeral – referencing back to Batman Inc. #1 – and some reactions from the Bat-family, Morrison does stick to his guns and keep this book about Batman Incorporated and not just Bruce Wayne himself. It’s a nice mix of reactionary emotion and some calm-before-the-storm preparation of taking the battle to Leviathan.

I was pleased to see Morrison deal with Beryl, who hasn’t been lost to the ether in light of Cyril’s demise, but instead gets a renewed purpose that will hopefully play out beyond Morrison’s involvement in the Batman franchise. Nightwing also gets some solid work here as he reacts to seeing Damian’s body for the first time in a way that is in keeping with the relationship the two had built. As for Bruce himself, Morrison plays up his introverted nature, really only bothering to speak to himself or when he’s lashing out at Alfred, save for at Damian’s memorial service. Placing the blame on Alfred for Damian’s death is an uncharacteristically harsh treatment of Bruce to his father figure, though not unreasonable considering the circumstances.

It’s the moments that follow his interaction with Alfred that finally deliver the emotional goods though; pages of silence rendered with care by Chris Burnham, that lead to Batman unleashing a guttural cry in the Batcave. And I have to say it, but only Burnham could bring such a crushing look of heartbreak to Bat-Cow. However, Morrison’s structure of the issue leaves something to be desired. He flashes back seemingly arbitrarily to the moments that followed Damian’s death, cutting in and out of the action at random. They seem to be intended as quick, intense moments of flashback within the more subdued scenes, but it never really plays that way narratively or artistically.

In general, Burnham and colorist Nathan Fairbairn deliver big time, particularly during the funeral sequence. Burnham’s strong character work coupled with the grim hues that Fairbairn provides make for a particularly depressing scene. However, there are a few pages featuring the work of Jason Masters and Hi-Fi that look quite bland in comparison. The colors on these pages in particular leave these scenes struggling to compete with the fullness Fairbairn is able to provide. That said, this accounts for only four pages of the total book, and all in scenes that aren’t essential to the emotional impact.